The new album, as lead vocalist and guitarist Emily Elizabeth notes, "is bringing our style closer to the band's name. I feel like we're growing into it." The name Kiss Me Deadly is a throwback to the 1955 film noir of the same name, of which Emily, a film student, is a big fan.

Carving a unique style is a difficult task these days, especially when rock criticism relies so heavily on comparing artists to other artists. Kiss Me Deadly has been compared to such artists as Bjork, Sonic Youth and the Smiths. "At first it wasn't a conscious effort," Elizabeth explains, "but now we're bringing in some influences and people are comparing us to Broken [Social Scene] and Echo and the Bunnymen."

"I guess every band has a blend of styles," she adds, "and it's interesting to hear what other people have described you as."

As for Kiss Me Deadly, Elizabeth offers the image of "some dude dancing in his bedroom in a spacesuit" as a way to distinguish the band's sound and style.

The band hails from Montreal, a city whose name alone carries certain musical expectations given the rise of other indie Montrealers such as the Arcade Fire, Wolf Parade and the Dears. However, Elizabeth claims that "Montreal has always had a really creative design, art and music scene, and it has always been producing good stuff.

"At times, people use the fact that we're from Montreal against us, saying we're following the Arcade Fire or whatever, but we've been at this for five years now and we will continue to be [at this for years to come]."

The band's artistic side shines through when looking at its aesthetically pleasing website (www.kmdband.com). "We'd love to have a more extensive site," Elizabeth notes, "but we all work full-time jobs and it's hard to find the time."

The site features rare tracks that aren't released on the full-length album, and it has been a good way for the band to distribute music and get some exposure.

Recently, Kiss Me Deadly received a lot of media attention when Bloc Party hand-picked the band for a North American tour. "We were stoked to go on tour then. It was two years since our last tour, and we got the chance to go to some places we hadn't been before," Elizabeth says. "Bloc Party were great. They were completely helpful in every way."

The tour was also a way to expose new audiences to its tour-only EP, Amoureux Cosmiques, as well as its live set, which has been described by audiences as amazingly energetic.

"The energy just comes natural for us," Elizabeth explains, "we have a lot of energy we need to expel." The band members, who have known each other for a long time now, "can't be in a room together and not have fun," Elizabeth adds.

The band's energy is definitely a necessity right now as it sets off on a North American tour. "The tour is the biggest thing for us right now," Elizabeth says. "We're also working on some new songs for the next album while practicing for the tour. It's been very chaotic. We've been consuming all our energy."

"If anyone wants to see what our live show has to do with spacesuits," Elizabeth explains, "they should definitely check us out during this tour."

'70s band Supertramp deserves star status

There's a line in my favourite movie, High Fidelity, that always annoys me. It comes when Rob (John Cusack) discusses his relationship with his ex and how he owes her money. In his defence, Rob remarks, "And just because she's took off and moved in with some Supertramp fan doesn't make me five grand richer."

When he says that, I always want to jump into the movie and ask what's wrong with Supertramp, a band I consider one of the greats of the '70s and early '80s.

Despite commercial and critical success in its heyday, the band has become a joke to many, and I have to wonder why. I could be biased, having grown up listening to the band on road trips with my mom, but I've got to think there's more to this poppy Brit band than many give it credit for.

For those unaware, Supertramp had its time in the sun with songs like "Goodbye Stranger," "Bloody Well Right," "Dreamer," and "Take the Long Way Home." It played piano-driven classic rock of the catchiest kind with dual frontmen and vocalists Rick Davies and Roger Hodgson.

Because of the music's radio-friendly style, many write it off as mainstream garbage, but if you take a closer look, you'll find the band commented on a lot of social issues, most specifically adult oppression of youthful idealism.

"School," off Crime of the Century, depicts school as a place where kids are brainwashed - a theme also explored by acclaimed bands like Pink Floyd and the Who.

My favourite Supertramp song, "The Logical Song," has fantastic lines like "And then they sent me away and teach me how to be sensible, logical, oh, responsible, practical," and "Watch what you say or they'll be calling you a radical, a liberal, oh, fanatical, criminal."

The fact that they were so radio-friendly made these songs even more subversive than the work of many punk acts of the time. While the Sex Pistols had their angry screeds dismissed and ignored by the majority, Supertramp had everyone singing along.

Besides, since when is being catchy so bad? The Beatles are hailed as the greatest rock band of all time and they were probably the catchiest. Obviously, Supertramp doesn't approach the Beatles, but I still wonder why it doesn't get the respect it deserves.

I've thought long and hard, discussed it with friends, and no one can provide a reason. Maybe the halls of musical greatness are fickle and random. Or maybe we just need a crop of young musicians to list Supertramp as one of their influences.

Until then, I'll push a little Supertramp on anyone who is in ear range of my iTunes in The Gazette office.

Author:Gazette Staff

Style Watch

Name: Scott SmithProgram: Alumnus

This week The Gazette approached the 31st Canadian Brigade Group of the Canadian Armed Forces to find out how its members feel about army style. After all, green is such an easy colour to wear, and the Remembrance Day poppy really punches up the uniform.

While that's not quite what Captain Scott Smith thinks when he puts on his uniform each day, he definitely enjoys it.

"The uniform is designed to make you feel proud, like you're part of something greater than yourself," Smith explains, adding he enjoys the uniform's comfort along with its prestige.

The daily fatigues save this Western grad the endless dilemma of having to decide what to wear each morning.

The weekends offer Smith a chance to be creative, but he opts to keep his style simple, choosing button-up shirts and jeans - not leather chaps, as his colleagues joked.

Maybe we should all take a money-saving tip from the military and start wearing Western fatigues?

On Disc: KMFDM

The first thing fans will notice about HAU RUCK is that the band dropped its usual five-letter album titles. Instead, the band chose the German term "Hau Ruck," which translates to "heave-ho."

The band's founder Sascha K. has returned to his retro analogue synthesizers to create a more toned down metal sound.

Although not as dark, heavy or political as its last album, WWIII, HAU RUCK contains some great electronic/rock songs.

The catchy "Mini Mini Mini" is a great cover of a piece by eccentric French artist Jacques Dutronc, and it's no wonder it's so well done - it has been a favourite song of Sascha's since he was a child.